


Dragon Slayer

by NightcoreGamer



Series: Dragon Slayer Trilogy [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Betrayal, Dragons, Fantasy, Fiction, Gen, King - Freeform, Modern Royalty, Original Fiction, Queen - Freeform, Royalty, Secret Identity, Secrets, Treason
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-23 21:08:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30061578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightcoreGamer/pseuds/NightcoreGamer
Summary: Artemis Xavier is believed to be the last living descendant of the royal dragon line but her real identity is that she is Seraphina Williams, a half-human, half-dragon hybrid that has been accused of Treason against her people. With the real traitor still on the loose, will she clear her name or be executed for a crime she did not commit?
Series: Dragon Slayer Trilogy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2211570





	1. Prologue

_I sat near the window, my newborn daughter fast asleep in my arms. The leaves were blowing in the slight breeze as clouds rolled in, obscuring the sunlight. I felt a hand on my shoulder and nearly jumped out of my skin until I looked up and saw it was my brother, Alastar, standing behind me. He was tall, taller than me and my sister even though we were older than he was. Alastar looked much like our father in his younger years even though he inherited our mothers red hair and he shared the same blue-green eyes as our sister._

_"Seraphina, you realize that Mother has been calling you for the last five minutes," he said, a small smile on his face._

_"I did not hear her," I admitted sheepishly. Putting my daughter in the cradle that was placed by my feet, I stood up and drew my shawl tighter around myself. Alastar sat down in my place and said that he would watch his niece. Thanking him, I walked out of the parlor, my heels clacking against the hardwood floors of the castle._

_It was built of stone, the wooden double doors leading to the outside shut tight as the natural light shone in from the windows. The maids had drawn open the curtains earlier that morning. I allowed my gaze to wander, mostly focusing on the paintings that adorned the walls. Someone cleared their throat and I stopped in my tracks. Standing a few feet away was my mother, Karena. Her long, red hair was down and loose, hanging over her shoulders as several strands were gathered and braided, tied together behind her head. She was a slim woman of average height with tan skin. Her light purple dress was almost the exact same color as her eyes, which were narrowed._

_"Seraphina, you must stop daydreaming." She didn't raise her voice but her tone was stern. There was a reason why she was the queen and this was it. Everyone knew better than to argue with her, and that included my father._

_I bowed my head towards her. "I am sorry, Mother."_

_Her stern expression softened as she sighed. "It is not your fault. All of us are tense and worried. Your father and the others should have come home by now."_

The others. _I knew she was referring to my husband, Liam, and brother-in-law, Andrew. I was about to say something until everything began spinning. It felt like I was falling and I felt someone grab my arms. Shaking my head, I saw my sister, Iris, was the one who grabbed me. "Sit down." She said, guiding me over to a nearby chair. "You must take it easy, sister."_

_"I know, Iris." I said. I knew why she was worried. I had just given birth a couple of days ago and I was still weak from it. The sound of giggling reached my ears and I noticed Alastar had made his way over to us, his niece cradled in his arms._

_"Someone woke up from her nap already," he said, placing her in my arms. I cradled her close to my chest and she reached up, grabbing a lock of my hair in her tiny fist. Smiling, I leaned down and kissed her forehead. The doors creaked as they opened and all of us looked up in time to see two young men walk in. The first appeared to be in his mid-to-late twenties, but the power that was radiating from him suggested that he was much older than that and he was tall, taller than my brother. He was pale skinned, making it seem as if he didn't see the sun very much. He also had the same whitish/silver and reddish-gold eyes that I did._

_The other was my age. He was of average height and build, his messy black hair hanging over his eyes which were a dark blue, the same color of the night sky. His face lit up when he saw me sitting there with our daughter in my arms. Liam came over and knelt down in front of us. He gently placed his hand on my cheek and I leaned into his touch. He looked down and smiled when he saw her._

_"What is her name?" He asked as I handed her to him._

_"I did not name her yet," I said, folding my hands on my lap. "Since you were not here for her birth, I thought you would to be the one to do it."_

_He nodded. "Sierra," he said, gently rubbing his thumb against her cheek. "Her name will be Sierra."_

_I smiled at them until I saw father walk over to Iris. I knew something was wrong when I saw her expression. "What happened? Where's Andrew?" She asked._

_Father put his hands on her shoulders, his face grim. "I'm sorry, Iris. We were in the middle of battle and when an attack was coming, Andrew disappeared. We haven't found him yet but we're going to keep looking."_

_Iris stepped back and put her face in her hands as she sobbed. Alastar went over to her and hugged her, whispering something in her ear. Liam put Sierra back in my arms and turned to my father. "Lord Ezekial, I will help join the search for Andrew."_

_"Are you sure you want to to do this, Liam?" Father asked, his hands folded behind his back. "You have a wife and a child now. Your duty should be to stay here with them."_

_Liam nodded. "I know, sir, but Andrew is a close friend. I was there but I was unable to do anything."_

_Father was about to argue but I stood up and shook my head. He sighed and nodded. "I understand. You may go."_

_Liam turned around and kissed Sierra on her forehead before doing the same to me. "I will return home as soon as I can, Sera."_

_I smiled, not surprised that he was still calling me by that nickname. "We'll be waiting, my love." He turned on his heel and walked out, the doors closing tight behind him._

_Dinner that night was quiet, neither of us saying throughout the entire meal. As the maids were cleaning up, we all decided to retire to our chambers early. Sierra had fallen asleep shortly after Liam left and I put her in her crib, gently tucking her blanket around her. "Goodnight, princess," I whispered. Changing into my nightgown, I slipped under the covers and laid down, facing the glass doors that led out to my balcony. The dark sky was full of stars and the moon shone, a perfect circle overhead. Closing my eyes, I drifted off to sleep._

_I was awoken by the sound of Sierra crying. Sitting up, I got out of my bed and went over to her, picking her up in my arms. I gently rocked her and that's when I smelled it. Smoke. Holding Sierra tight against me, I hurried to my door and threw it open. I yelled and jumped back as the flames entered my room. The fire wouldn't hurt me but it would kill Sierra. I ripped the bottom of my nightgown and soaked it in the water basin. Silently glad that the maids didn't empty it that morning, I wrapped it around my daughter and made sure that she wasn't exposed to the flames or smoke._

_"Iris! Alastar!" I screamed as loud as I could for my younger siblings but there was no response. Fear and dread washed over me as I ran, barefoot, to my parents chambers. I grabbed the door handle and tried to pull it open but the door wouldn't move. Gritting my teeth, I slammed my shoulder into the door even though it hurt. I did it again and this time I heard the hinges start to creak. Backing up a little, I used all my strength and slammed my body into the doors one more time. They opened!_

_I staggered into the room, my eyes watering from all the smoke. Sierra started crying again and that's when I heard Father's voice. "Who's there?!"_

_"Father!" I yelled, maneuvering my way through the flames and debris. There, I could see them. Mother was kneeling on the floor, her hand over her mouth as she coughed. Father was next to her, keeping her against him. "Father, Mother, we must get out of here!"_

_Father looked up at me and for a moment, I thought I could see fear in his eyes. "No. Take Sierra and run!"_

_"Father, please!" I begged him, taking another step towards him._

_"I SAID RUN, SERAPHINA!" He roared and raised his hand and the flames in front of me reached towards the ceiling for a moment. I stared at him in horror for a moment. His expression softened and he picked up something that was wrapped in a black cloth and threw it to me. "It is too late for us, my daughter. Our people will need you to guide them one day. I am proud of the woman you have become, Seraphina Aradia Williams."_

_My eyes widened as I caught it and I could recognize it even though I couldn't see it. "FATHER, NO!" I screamed. He smiled one last time as the smoke became thicker and the flames obscured everything in sight._


	2. Chapter One

"FATHER!" I screamed, bolting upright. Looking around, I saw the dark maroon painted walls along with the matching rug an oval shaped mirror hanging on the wall next to my desk along. I looked down and saw my familiar red and gold comforter, finally realizing that I was in my room. Sighing, I ran a shaky hand through my hand. 

_It was just that dream again,_ I thought as I slowly got out of bed. The rug was soft under my bare feet as I stood up and walked into the bathroom. Even though I was the only one there, I still shut the bathroom door before turning the shower on. Stripping off the t-shirt and shorts I always slept in, I threw them into the basket and stepped into the shower. Steam filled the closed off room and the water was hot but it didn't faze me in the slightest. Lifting my face up to the shower head, I closed my eyes, letting myself relax for a couple minutes. 

After I washed and rinsed my hair, I turned the water off and stepped out, wrapping a towel around myself before I went back into my room and over to the closet. Finding what I was looking for, I let the towel drop to the floor and got dressed in a pair of ripped, black jeans and a dark red t-shirt. I quickly brushed my hair out and tied it into a messy high pony tail, the longer portion of my bangs hanging over my left eye and covering the mark that rested over it. Shaking my head, I sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled on my knee high, black boots. Zipping them up, I tucked a couple of throwing daggers into the sides before throwing on my leather jacket. Walking over to the door, I grabbed my messenger bag and left, the door closing behind me. 

It was clear everyone else was just starting to get up since the halls were mostly empty except for a few students who just standing around talking amongst themselves. They looked up and just glared as I started to walk by. I glared back and ignored them until I heard footsteps running up behind me. Knowing who it was by his scent, I turned around in time just as he was about to land a punch. Grabbing his wrist, I kicked his feet out from under him and flipped him over, slamming him into the ground. 

"Damn it, Artemis. Did you have to put all your strength into that?" He groaned, sitting up. 

I rolled my eyes at him. "Don't be such a drama queen, Shane," I said, helping him to his feet. "Besides, I barely put any effort into that. It's not my fault your guard wasn't up." 

He just glared and pouted like a child, making me chuckle. Shane Peters, my best friend as well as my partner and "cousin". He looked exactly like his father since they shared the same dark brown hair and green eyes. It's a little more complicated than that but I'll explain that later. His father, Axel, is the headmaster of the academy as well as one of the top dragon slayers in history. "We have to see Vince to get our assignment today." He said, rubbing his back. 

"Shit!" I said, smacking myself on the forehead. "I almost forgot about that." 

Vincent Robins, one of the instructors here at the academy, is our mentor and Axel's best friend. He was the one who gave me and Shane our weekly assignments. Silently cursing myself, I followed Shane to the main building. The campus was set up so the main building where our classes and training courses were held with the boys dorms located to the east wing of the building and the girls dorms in the west wing. By the time we reached Vincent's classroom, our classmates had already arrived and were shooting the two of us dagger like glares. We stood in front of his desk as he shuffled through the paperwork. 

Vincent was tall and broad, his dirty blonde hair looking like it wasn't brushed as always. He was tanned skin with brown eyes. He grinned when he saw us and handed me the paper with our targets information on it. "Head north of the academy through the woods. Once it catches your scent, that's when it'll show up. Word is that it's been hanging around here for awhile." 

Both of us nodded and ran out of the classroom, rushing to the main entrance and passing through the courtyard. I couldn't explain it, but something felt different about this assignment. Almost as if something was calling me there. 


	3. Chapter Two

Me and Shane ran through the woods as I looked back at the little map on the targets info. I folded it and slid it in my back pocket. I turned to Shane. "Just through these trees." I gave the signal with my hands and he nodded, determination in his eyes as he drew his bow and set up his arrow.

"Why are you here?" a raspy voice echoed around us. It's impossible to tell where he is. I averted my gaze from Shane's and motioned to the bush that was up ahead. He gave a swift nod as we approached from different angles. As we started to close in, our target shot into the air using it's real form. I wasn't surprised but when I heard Shane gasp, I knew this wasn't what he was expecting. 

The dim sunlight reflected off his scales, which were a dark maroon, the color of dried blood. His jade green eyes watched us as he unfolded his wings. Our eyes widened when we saw the wingspan.

 _"_ Crap!" both of us said at the same time. He flapped his wings, creating a giant wind gust. I held my arms up in front of my face. Shane did the same just as the wind became stronger and we were sent flying back. 

_CRASH!_

Shane slumped to the ground, knocked unconscious from the attack. Wincing, I staggered to my feet and slowly walked over to him. His eyes watched my movements until I stopped right in front of him. He raised his claw to defend himself but instead of attacking, I knelt down in front of him and allowed my wings to unfold to their full length. Looking up, I could see his eyes widen in surprise. "You are not a human nor dragon. What are you, child?" 

I shook my head. "I am just someone seeking the answers I need." 

He grunted and his body shifted until in his place stood a young man. He was about the same height as me with dark skin, jade green eyes and dark red hair. He was wearing a maroon, silk dress shirt, black dress pants and black dress shoes. He had an amused look on his face as he watched me. "Show me proof of your lineage and I shall tell you what I know." 

"I was not planning to attack you. I needed to hold up the appearance that I was." I said, moving my bangs away from my left eye, revealing the mark that rested there. It was consisted of two black vines entwined with another, the tips stopping at a point on both ends which rested above my eyebrow and below my eye. 

"I do not hold it against you, child." He said, his eyes narrowed when he saw the mark. It took me a second to realize that he was studying my features. "Hair the color of the moon and eyes like fire. You do resemble the late king. Very well, I will tell you what I know. The night when the royal family was killed was no accident."


	4. Chapter Three

"No, you are a lair! The fire was an accident in the kitchen." I folded my arms.

He shrugged. "Okay then, seems you got it all covered. I'll be leaving."

"No." I quickly said, my eyes darting back at Shane to make sure he was still safe. Out like a light. Wow, how strong was this dude?

Now being closer, I could inspect him better. He had big muscles, and upon closer inspection his jade eyes seem familiar. Too familiar for my liking. He raised one of his thin eyebrows and smirked at me. I wish I could smack the amusement of his face, but he had answers.

"What's your name?" I asked. 

"Magnus, Magnus Fairtree." He responded smoothly.

Now it was my turn to look at him with an amused smirk. "What kind of name is that?"

He pouted a little (and you got to admit, its cute). "Do you want me to tell you or not?"

"Yes." I nodded. 

"No interrupting me." He warned.

"Okay."

"Okay then, we may begin." he took a deep breath. "It started when you were young, seven to be precise, and your father refused to marry you off to me."

"At the age of seven? I don't think so." I said, but then he gave me the "Don't you remember what I said?" look. "Sorry, continue."

"So....."

_Flashback_

_Father sat in his office waiting for a client to come over. I poked my head around the door. "Do you want tea, Father?"_

_"Oh yes please, sweetheart." He kissed my forehead and I skipped out of the room._

_When I came to give him the tea, I saw a group of people waiting outside the door. Curious, I hid around the corner._

_They knocked loudly, and importantly. I could hear Father sigh, then he spoke. "Come in! Oh, please do have a seat."_

_When I thought the coast was clear, I crept to just outside of the door and opened it slightly._

_"So, what did you want to discuss today?" Father turned to face the guests._

_"This is my son, Magnus Fairtree." a tall man said. I could only see his back, not his face or anything. "He would like to ask you something."_

_Everyone's eyes shift to the quiet boy in the corner. "I would like your daughter's hand in marriage."_

_I gasped, then quickly covered my mouth to make sure that no one heard me._

_Father looked taken aback. "How old are you, son? And you do realize that I have two daughters, right?"_

_"I'm ten. I want to marry Seraphina."_

_"Uh, well, I'll think about. I'm sure you understand that I want the best for my daughter."_

_"Yes, of course. Thank you for seeing us."_

_I jumped away from the door so that they wouldn't see me, but I still was listening._

_"Goodbye for now." Mr. Fairtree said with an evil glint in his eye. "I'm sure we will be seeing each other VERY soon."_


	5. Chapter Four

I shook my head, refusing to believe what he just told me. "If this is true, my father said no because I was already engaged to someone else. We were since birth and we had married when we turned seventeen." This was true. My father had arranged the marriage between me and Liam after we were born. He was close friends with Liam's father despite him being human. They both wanted our races to know peace and believed that our marriage would be the start of it. 

Judging from his reaction, it was clear he had no knowledge of it. I held up my left hand, the light reflecting off the gold wedding band that rested on my finger. Like me, Liam had some form of immortality but neither of us knew how. We suspected the Council had cursed him when he helped me escape but there was no proof of it. I haven't seen him in over a decade but once in awhile, I will get a message from him through Axel.

Magnus narrowed his eyes and folded his hands behind his back. "I can tell from the way you're glaring at me that you believe I am the one who set the fire but I assure you, it was not." 

I stood up straight, my fangs sharpening as I glared at him. "Then who was it?" I demanded, the power in my voice causing his eyes to widen. 

"Look to your memories, princess, for the answers you seek lie there. The real traitor is much closer than you realize." With that, he shifted to his real form and shot into the sky, disappearing within a matter of seconds. Swearing under my breath, I went over to where Shane was and put his arm around my shoulders. I was thankful for my strength because damn, he was heavy as hell. Supporting most of his weight, I half carried, half dragged him back to the academy.

Cursing myself under my breath, kicked the doors open, much to the surprise of the other students. "Where's the doctor?" I shouted over the chatter of the students.

One of the nurses must have heard me because she came running out. "Oh my god. What happened?" She asked, putting his other arm around her shoulders. 

"We were on an assignment and got attacked. It was more like an ambush, really," I said, trying to keep my composure. I really hoped my voice didn't crack because if it did, then we were royally screwed. She didn't seem to notice as we carried him into the infirmary. As soon as we got him onto one of the beds, she led me out of the room so the doctors could examine him. 

"You should go report this to the headmaster," she said, her hands folded in front of her. "If anything happens, we'll let you know." 

I nodded in understanding. "Thank you," I slung my messenger bag over my shoulder and made my way to the headmaster's office. While I was walking, I couldn't help but think back to what Magnus had said. _Look to your memories, princess, for the answers you seek lie there._

 _If he knows I'm alive, then who else does?_ I thought as I stopped in front of the double doors. I raised my hand to knock on the door when I felt someone approach from behind. My instincts and training kicking in, I unsheathed my sword and spun around, the tip of the blade inches from the main artery in his neck. 

He was in his mid-thirties and bore a striking resemblance to his son, the only difference being was that Axel was covered in battle scars, some of which I had given him when he first started training me. I didn't realize how bad I was shaking until he grabbed my wrist and lowered my arm. Taking a deep breath, I put the sword back in its sheath and followed him into his office. Axel closed the doors to make sure no one would overhear us if they happened to walk by. 

"What happened?" He asked, his eyes narrowed as he leaned back against his desk. 

"I had a run in with someone from my former life," I said, running a hand through my hair. I finally managed to calm down but something still didn't feel right. Axel must have noticed this as he crossed his arms, waiting for me to elaborate further. "Magnus Fairtree."

"Why does that name sound familiar?" He asked, his eyebrow raised.

"The Fairtrees were one of the royal families until one of their ancestors committed treason by attempting to assassinate the first queen. They were banished and exiled from our home land and lost their royal status. The family thought if their son married me, then they would be able to reclaim what was theirs." I said, growling under my breath. 

"I thought you were engaged to Liam at that time." He didn't phrase it as a question but I nodded anyway. Axel was the only one who knew who I really was aside from his wife and I trusted him since the beginning so I told him about my history. 

"I was. Our fathers wanted to prove that our races could co-exist and live in peace together but if anyone found out that I was marrying a human, they would've executed him on sight so we kept our engagement a secret until after we were married." I explained and ended the conversation there. I told Axel what Magnus had said and his expression darkened but it wasn't until I told him about the dream. "The fact I had the dream and he said to look to my memories, they must be connected somehow."


	6. Chapter Five

Axel reluctantly agreed that they must be connected but neither of us discussed the possibility of how or why, mainly because we didn't want to take the chance or risk of anyone ease dropping at the door. "I have something for you," he said, looking through the papers on his desk. 

"Is it from Liam?" I asked, crossing my arms. I haven't heard from him for so long that I didn't know where he was or if he was okay. 

Axel must have sensed how worried I was because he picked up a closed envelope and held it out to me. "No, but I heard from him a few days ago. He's coming back when he's done gathering information."

I let out a sigh of relief and took the envelope, finally seeing that it had my name written on the front. When I saw the handwriting, my eyes widened. _It can't be...._ , I thought as I tore it open. With a shaking hand, I pulled the letter out and unfolded it.

_Serpahina,_

_I know it's risky, even dangerous, for me to address you by your real name but there may be a chance that no one knows what name you're going by now, therefore I'm taking the chance to contact you. If this letter reaches you, then that means Liam was able to get to Axel without any problems. There is something we must discuss in person. **The storm will guide you.**_

_-Iris_

I put the letter back in the envelope and as I did, I looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows that were behind Axel's desk to see that sometime during the time I was reading it, storm clouds had rolled in They were a dark gray, nearly black, and lightening flashed in the distance. Rain splattered against the windows as it down poured and, dropping my bag, I went over to the window. 

"How long is the storm supposed to last?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at him. 

"They said a few days but at this rate, it may be longer," Axel said as he came over to stand beside me. He was quiet for a few minutes. "It's been almost five years."

I didn't have to ask what he meant. He was referring to day when his wife, Illiana, disappeared. Images of a cliff crumbling away flashed in the back of my mind and I pushed it back. I couldn't think about that, not now, not here. "If Liam shows up before hand while I'm out, tell him I'll see him when I get back." 

"Just be watchful. They're watching us, especially you." Axel said, backing away from the window as it flew open. The wind scattered all the papers on the desk but it didn't touch me. It seemed as if it knew I was there and it was purposely avoiding me. Turning around, I faced Axel and nodded once. He understood and bowed his head. "Be careful, your highness." 

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before falling back. Gravity took over and when I opened my eyes, I could see that the ground was approaching and fast. Almost as if they had a will of their own, my wings shot straight out and using the momentum, I turned over and flew right into the sky, out of sight of anyone who could have been watching. The lightening flashes came closer and I stopped, hovering in the air. 

"Take me to her." I said. The wind shifted and so did the rain. I knew they were guiding me so I followed the direction they were going in. I caught her scent as I approached and, looking down, I saw her below, hovering above the water. I flew down and stopped in front of her so we could face each other. She was pale skinned with the same whitish/silver hair that I have, though her appears to be more white with greenish/blue eyes, which were the same color as the elements she controls.

"It has been a long time, sister," she said, her voice still containing traces of formality. 

"It certainly has, Iris," I nodded in her direction. "I admit, it was indeed reckless of you to contact me but I know you wouldn't have done so if it wasn't important." 

She didn't say a word. Instead, Iris waved her hand and the rain and wind stopped, though the clouds remained. The two of us were able to control two elements: Iris could use Wind and Water, while I use Fire and Lightning. Many people think there are only four elements, but they're very wrong.


	7. Chapter Six

There are the four main elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. However, there are three more that only our race knows about: Light, Shadow, and Metal. Many of us can manipulate and control at least two but we are also able to combine them with one or more of the basic elements as well as the ones we use. If I were to use my fire with Iris' wind, we could make a fire vortex that would destroy everything in it's path. 

"Seraphina!" Iris yelled, annoyance in her voice as she grabbed my arm to get my attention. 

I snapped out of it and looked at her, her expression reminding me of how mother used to look if I wasn't paying attention to my etiquette lessons. "Sorry," I muttered the apology as I scratched the back of my head. "What did you need to talk to me about?" 

She seemed pleased that I was finally paying attention but when her expression changed to that of worry, I had a feeling that something was wrong. "I've been having a dream every night. It's always the same one." 

I was not expecting that. I felt my whole body tense up when she mentioned the dream. I lowered myself so the soles of my boots were resting on top of the water, causing ripples from the contact. "The one of the night of the fire?" I asked, making sure to keep my tone emotionless. 

"Yes. How did you...?" Iris' eyes widened and she brought a hand up to her mouth. "You've been having it, too?" When I nodded, her face drained of all color and her hands started to shake. We're called Dream Seers. There are only a handful of us that knew about this and not even the royal families and Slayers know about it. We can look back to forgotten moments of our past because we're connected to the Dream Realm. 

The Dream Realm is a plane that rests beside the mortal plane. It was once said that our souls had originated from there before we're born and that when we die, our souls return there. I don't know how much of that is true and I doubt Iris knows. I was about to say something when the wind shifted and it hit me. 

Someone had followed one of us. They were close. 

I heard the shot before I saw the bullet and I grabbed Iris' ankle, quickly pulling her out of the way as the bullet flew past where her head had just been. "Son of a bitch!" I growled, my fangs and claws extending as the scent came closer. A different scent reached my nose and I felt my blood turn to ice as I recognized it. _The bullet was soaked in poisoned copper._

"We have to get out of here." I said, my eyes narrowed as I scanned the area. "Looks like someone knew we were meeting here and sent an assassin after us." 

My wings stretched out to their full length and Iris' had done the same. Another shot rang out and this time, it was aimed at me. I moved to the side but I could feel a sting as the bullet grazed my cheek. Hissing in pain, I crouched down and shot straight into the sky with my sister following close behind. In the distance, I could see the barrel of a gun and a flash of wings. _They sent one of our own,_ I thought, my fists clenched. Whoever it was must have noticed that we spotted them because they came out from their hiding spot and flew towards us. 

I grabbed Iris' hand and we flew in the opposite direction, hoping to put some distance between us and them. Hoping that Iris would be able to see any attacks coming from the front, I spun around and let out a blast of fire from my mouth, hoping to slow them down. I watched in horror as the flames were put out by a huge geyser of water. 

"Sister, what's going on?!" Iris shouted, her grip on my hand tightening to the point where it was starting to hurt. She was afraid but she refused to show it. 

"He's a damn Water user!" I shouted back and held my free hand up, sparks forming in front of my palm as I released a blast of Lightening towards them. It hit them on their wing but they were still trying to close in. "Looks like we're gonna have to kick our speed up a notch!" 

She nodded reluctantly and at the same time, our wings flapped once, twice and on the third time, we sped out of there, putting a large distance between us and our attacker. Iris looked over at me and from the corner of my eye, I could see her looking at the graze on my cheek. "It was poisoned, wasn't it? Don't bother lying because I can still smell it from here." 

I grunted in annoyance, pressing the sleeve of my jacket against it to stop the bleeding. "Yeah, but it's only a scratch. It won't kill me but it hurts like hell." She growled under her breath and I changed our direction, bringing her to the one place I knew we would be safe. I was bringing her to the academy. Once Axel and Vincent find out about this, they won't be happy. Knowing Axel, he would probably have us put under house arrest for a time until he's certain that we won't be tracked again. 

The fact that someone was sent to follow and take us out had me shaken up but I was trying like hell not to show it. I knew I was gonna have to find a way to in contact with Liam as soon as possible and inform him about this. Iris let go of my hand as soon as we were over the academy grounds. We both nodded in agreement and landed behind the building, our wings folding in and disappearing into our backs, no trace of them showing. I let out a sigh of relief and nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a branch snap from behind us. 

Moving at the same time, we whirled around and crouched down, baring our fangs as someone stepped out of the shadows of the building. He was tall and lean, his black hair a mess as always while his eyes were the color of the night sky, a dark midnight blue. He appeared to be the same age as me but something about him suggested that he was older than he appeared to be. 

"It can't be...." I said, my fangs retracting as I slowly stood up. My heart started racing the minute I saw him and when he smiled, I thought I was dreaming. "Liam?"


	8. Chapter Eight

"It can't be...." I said, my fangs retracting as I slowly stood up. My heart started racing the minute I saw him and when he smiled, I thought I was dreaming. "Liam?"

He nodded and stopped a few feet away, his face still partially hidden from the shadows but when he held out his hand, I saw the ring that was on his left ring finger. It was similar to the one I wore. "It's me, Sera." He said, using the nickname he gave me when we were children. In fact, he was the only one who called me that. 

I couldn't believe it. He was really here after all this time. I walked over to him and, not hesitating, punched him right in his face. The impact sent him skidding several feet back and I could hear Iris gasp from behind me. I didn't care if someone saw that, considering half the academy knew I would always get into fights and walk away with only a couple of bruises that would heal the next day. They all thought I was strong because of my training with Axel and Vincent and I let them think that. 

Liam was laying on the ground, groaning as he put his hand over his face. "I admit, I did deserve that." he said, wincing as he sat up. His face was obscured by the shadows so I couldn't see his face or his expression. 

Shaking my hand out, I walked over and sat on my knees in front of him. Liam looked up to meet my gaze and I nearly knocked him to the ground as I threw my arms around him. He didn't hesitate to put his arms around me as he pulled me closer to him. "What the hell took you so long to come back?" I asked, my voice cracking as I buried my face in the crook of his neck. 

Even though I couldn't see his face, I had a feeling that he was smiling. He was the only one to see this side of me when my guard and walls were down. "I had to make sure they wouldn't try to follow me. I would've been back sooner but the Council had their watch dogs keeping a close eye on my movements for a few years." 

My entire body went rigid when I heard the mention of the Council. They are the ones who hold authority over our race as well as the ones who revoke the status of the royal families. On the night of the fire, they had sent their best trackers to hunt me down and if it wasn't for Liam, they would've executed me on sight that night. He must have known what I was thinking about because his grip tightened to the point where it was starting to hurt but I didn't move or say anything.

It felt as if time stood still. My vision was starting to blur around the edges and everything was muffled. I could hear Iris say something to me and Liam but I couldn't understand what it was. Liam responded as he helped me to my feet and the three of us walked into the academy. I knew my way around the building and when I noticed the way we were going, I immediately knew that we were going to the sacred chamber. 

The sacred chamber is where the Slayers-in-training receive their tattoo, the mark that shows that they now joined the ranks. Rolling up my jacket sleeve, I looked down at my forearm where the tattoo stood out. It was a double edged sword with a dragon wrapped around the blade. Only Axel and Vincent knew I had this. None of the other instructors or students even realized that I had this. From the corner of my eye, I could see Iris looking at it. 

"Don't look so shocked, Iris," I said, pulling my sleeve back down. "You know it's in our blood."

Iris looked as if she wanted to argue but when someone cleared their throat, all three of us looked up to see Axel and Vincent standing in the center of the chamber. Under their feet, engraved into the floor, was the mark of the slayers along with the symbol of each of the royal families. From where I was standing, I could see the crest of my family. It was the same as the pendant I wore around my neck: a dragon claw surrounded by flames. The symbol for the Aeros family, Liam's family to be precise, was next to that. It consisted of three crescent moons, two that stood back to back with the third below them, the edges facing downwards. It was once said that the Aeros family was descended from a line of dragons, but whether that was true or not still remains unknown. 


End file.
